One of the biggest consequences of addiction to drugs or alcohol is the impact it has on your relationships with friends and family. The basis of any healthy relationship is trust, and addiction has the tendency to destroy trust completely. People who struggle with addiction often lie and steal from their loved ones to further their addiction, and they can be extremely manipulative. This makes it hard for many families to fully trust their loved one in recovery, and when their family member realizes this, it tends to breed resentment, which just continues to spiral down until the family is even more fractured than before.
Trust is extremely easy to lose, and just as difficult to regain once you’ve lost it. Think of it this way: the trust your family has in you is like a bucket of water. When you start lying to and deceiving them, you’re just poking holes in this bucket, and slowly, all of that water is draining out. By the time it’s empty, the bucket is just riddled with holes, and it can seem like it’s impossible to repair it. At the lowest point of your relationship with your loved ones, it may seem like you will never again be able to have their trust, and it can feel extremely awkward to even be around some family in this situation.
Instead of trying to make grand gestures or constantly work to get their approval or trust, start small. If you say you’ll call tomorrow, call tomorrow. If you offer to help with something, follow through. Be honest in your daily words and actions, and give them the opportunity to see that you’re living honestly, not just saying what they want to hear. It may take time, and it may take a lot of small actions before you can even attempt to prove your trustworthiness in a bigger way, but little by little, you’re patching those holes in the bucket, one at a time, until you’re at the point where you can finally begin to add water again.
Rebuilding trust is not easy, and it may take a lot of work, but there is nothing more worthwhile than pursuing honesty in your life. If you’re struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, the time to get help is right now, wherever you are and wherever you’ve been. Look at yourself honestly, and if you’re struggling with addiction, call The Springboard Center today: 432-620-0255.
